How to Write a Better Bio
Your Bio or About statement is the foundation of your entire marketing plan. It is the rallying cry that gets your business noticed. But too many leaders skip this step, hoping “the gist” of their work will do the marketing for them. Without a strong About Statement, however, you’re doing yourself and your customers a disservice.
Inside This Article
- Why your About statement is the foundation of your entire marketing plan (and what happens when you skip it)
- Using the Four E’s Framework to craft an About statement that tells your origin story (and doesn’t just list what you do)
- How to use AI as a starting point (while keeping humans in the loop where it matters most)
- Real examples of the Four E’s in action across industries
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Why Most Bios Don’t Work (And Why Yours Needs To)
Writing a personal or business bio is hard. We have to brag about ourselves, in a way that doesn’t sound like bragging, while also summarizing all that we do in a few short sentences. The reality? Most people skip this step entirely, just hoping photos or their services will do the heavy lifting.
When we do go looking for advice on writing a bio, we are often fed very generic advice, that looks a lot like… “Start with I help…”
I don’t know about you, but I’ve never bought a piece of art because it helps fill my walls. And I picked a travel destination or seen a show or listened to music because it helped me do anything…
Here’s what most people miss: Marketing is about memory. It is simply not enough to be generic. I’m an accountant. Or, I’m a painter won’t capture attention. Which means it won’t capture dollars. If your bio doesn’t make people remember you, you will have to work much harder to get noticed, get remembered, and get customers.
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Your About Statement is so critical. It quite literally is your entire marketing plan distilled into a few short sentences.
– Monica Poling
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Sadie’s: An Origin Story That Works
So if marketing is not always about solving problems, then what *is* it about? It’s about emotional connection.
Think about the brands people are genuinely loyal to. Not just “I buy this because it solved my problem” loyal, but “I will go to the mat defending this product” loyal. Coke vs. Pepsi. Disney vs. Universal. Apple vs. PC. These aren’t rational debates about product features. They’re emotional allegiances. People don’t just USE these brands – they are passionate about them. And passion is rooted in emotion.
So what does an About statement that creates emotional resonance look like?
Sadie’s of New Mexico
Let’s look at Sadie’s of New Mexico, a popular restaurant with an exceptionally loyal customer base. They could have written something like: “Family-owned restaurant serving authentic New Mexican cuisine since 1952.”
Factual. Competent. Completely forgettable.
Instead, here is their bio:
“From humble beginnings to world famous, and still family owned. Started as a 9-stool diner where Sadie remembered every customer’s order.”
See what they did there? They talk about their start, what mattered to them then, what matters to them now. And what matters to their customers. Being remembered. .
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The Four E’s: How People Really Make Decisions
When customers find you, whether through search or a personal intro they might think, “Cool, this biz solves my problem.” But, their brains are also doing a big thought explosion. They’re thinking, this person (or business) is interesting. They get me. And once they know you get them, the thoughts start to go deeper. They ask questions: How much does this cost? How does this work? Will this change me or impact me? Is there value in working with this company? And then, finally, the biggie: Is this company legit?
These questions filter through our customer’s brains in a chaotic, non-linear process, but for marketers, they essentially fall into four overarching categories:
- What will I feel? (Why does this work matter?)
- What will I experience? (What do I have to do?)
- What will I learn (or how will my circumstances be transformed?)
- How do I know this is legit?
I call these questions the Four E’s Framework: Emotion, Experience, Education, and Evidence.
Every great business bio, whether you’re a visitor destination, a cultural institution, an indie artist, or a non-profit serving entrepreneurs, weaves these together.
The Four E’s isn’t a formula where you check boxes (“✓ mentioned emotion, ✓ listed services”). It’s a story – YOUR STORY – that naturally answers all four questions in a way that feels authentic to who you are. But it is also a narrative that is written to capture what matters to your customers.
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Sadie’s: The Four E’s
Let’s go back to Sadie’s. They didn’t just share their origin story. They layered in the components which make their customers care. Let’s break it down through the Four E’s:
Emotion: You feel the intimacy of that 9-stool counter. You feel seen – because Sadie SAW her customers, remembered them, knew what they wanted before they ordered. That’s not just service; that’s connection.
Experience: You’re not just getting a meal. You’re becoming part of a story that started small and grew into something “world famous” – but hasn’t lost its soul. You’re experiencing that same personal touch Sadie built her reputation on, even though the restaurant has grown.
Education: You learn their journey. Humble beginnings. Family owned then, family owned now. You understand what they value (people, memory, continuity) and what they DON’T value (scaling at the expense of authenticity).
Evidence: The fact that they went from 9 stools to world famous? That’s proof. Not proof that they’re fancy – proof that doing things the Sadie’s way, the personal way, a way that matters to their customers.
That’s what a great About statement does. It tells an origin story that makes people understand not just WHAT you do, but WHO you are and why that matters.
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More About Statements in Action
The Four E’s work across industries and across all business sizes. Here are four examples of About statements that nail the Four E’s across distinctly unique businesses. The examples below demonstrate the formula works for individual business owners as well as corporate entities.
Waldorf Astoria NYC
To tell the story of New York is, in some sense, to tell the story of the Waldorf Astoria. Like the city itself, this storied hotel is more than a place — the Waldorf Astoria is a legend — one that has drawn cultural icons, world leaders, and visiting royalty. It has also been home to a legacy of extraordinary moments. Explore the illustrious history of Waldorf Astoria New York, and discover why it became known as The Greatest of Them All.
💖 Emotion: Legendary, prestigious, part of history
🍽️ Experience: Luxury accommodations, historic grandeur, celebrity connections
📚 Education: Learn New York’s history through an iconic landmark
📊 Evidence: Cultural icons, world leaders, visiting royalty have all stayed here – this isn’t aspirational marketing, it’s documented history
Lillian Pitt, Native American Artist
Lillian Pitt is a Pacific Northwest Native American artist whose ancestors lived in and near the Columbia River Gorge. The focus of her work is on creating contemporary fine art pieces that delight today’s art lovers, and at the same time, honor the history and legends of her people.”
💖 Emotion: Delighted, connected to heritage, honored
🍽️ Experience: Contemporary fine art that bridges past and present, museum-quality pieces accessible to collectors
📚 Education: Learn Native American history and legends through contemporary art
📊 Evidence: Work in personal collections, galleries, museums, and public spaces (parks, schools, cultural institutions)
Visit Sitka
Sitka is an island community boldly living between the mountains and sea, where the arts flourish and an ancient native culture still thrives. Surrounded by rainforest, we share our home with brown bears, bald eagles and all five species of Pacific salmon. In Sitka, we are deeply connected to the natural world around us. It informs our culture and inspires our art.
This is Sitka. The place where wilderness and culture collide.
💖 Emotion: Connected, inspired, grounded in nature
🍽️ Experience: Wilderness meets culture, thriving arts scene, authentic Native culture, wildlife encounters
📚 Education: Learn how nature informs culture and art, experience authentic Native traditions
📊 Evidence: Specific details (five species of salmon, brown bears, bald eagles) prove this isn’t generic destination marketing
United Arts of Central Florida
We make art possible. Our work makes art more accessible to all, so that everyone, from our neighbors to our future generations, can live in a more inspiring and enriching community.
In 1989, Central Florida business and community leaders united under one vision to ensure the future of our region as a place of inspiration. As Central Florida’s local arts agency, United Arts raises and distributes funds for arts, science and history organizations in our region.
💖 Emotion: Inspiring and enriching community, legacy for future generations
🍽️ Experience: Free/affordable museums and theaters, field trips for kids, public art, cultural festivals
📚 Education: Kids learn with imagination and creativity, cultures come together, young minds opened
📊 Evidence: Since 1989, supports 125+ local nonprofit arts organizations, concrete programs (classroom access, public art, cultural festivals)
About United Arts of Central Florida
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Using AI to Find Your Story (But Keep Humans in the Loop)
Here’s a prompt you can use to get started with your own About statement:
PROMPT: Here is a list of Emotions, Experiences, Education, ad Evidence that people will experience when they work with me. [Add your list]. Can you help me turn this list into five short, authentic brand messages that feel purpose-driven and not too salesy? The messages should sound like me, should not use clichés or jargon, and should also differentiate me from other people and/or businesses in my field.
Bonus: Upload a document of writing you like (your own or someone else’s) and ask AI to mimic the tone for even better results.
Human in the Loop
This prompt is a great starting point. But – and this is critical – this is one part of the marketing process that should absolutely keep humans in the loop.
AI can emulate emotion. It can recognize patterns in language that feel warm or inspiring or confident. But it doesn’t actually UNDERSTAND emotion. It doesn’t know what it feels like to remember a customer’s order at a 9-stool counter, or to watch your business grow from humble beginnings. It does not, ultimately, care.
You do. And your customers do.
So use AI to generate options, to see your story reflected back in different ways. Find a statement or two that feel right. But then YOU need to read each version and ask: Does this sound like me? Does this capture what I actually want people to feel? Is this the story I want to tell? And then test your statement with real humans to see how they respond.
➤ Read More: A Sizzle Statement is the answer to one question: Why do people pick me? If you want better AI results, start with that. Read: What is a Sizzle Statement
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The Bottom Line
At the end of the day, your About statement isn’t just marketing copy. It’s the foundation of everything else you’ll say about your business.
It’s THE story that makes people remember you, choose you, and talk about you. Using the Four E’s to tell that story with intention – and watch everything else in your marketing get easier.
Get this right, and your entire marketing strategy gets easier.
Want help crafting YOUR About statement using the Four E’s framework? This is exactly the kind of strategic foundation work I do with creative leaders and mission-driven organizations. Schedule a free vision call and let’s talk about your story.
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About this Article
Monica Poling is an AI strategist and advocate for the creative industries and mission-driven organizations. She’s been studying AI since the 1990s (when AI meant LISP programming, not prompt engineering) and now helps creative leaders use AI strategically to grow their business without losing their voice or their values.
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Ask the
Expert
Turn your organizational knowledge into your biggest business asset
Most businesses have incredible expertise — but that knowledge is buried in emails, documents, and people’s heads — their website barely scratches the surface. That gap quietly costs leads, sales, and trust. Ask the Expert turns your expertise into a 24/7 AI-powered search engine and knowledge base.
Data on Tap
AI-Generated Biz Tools
Imagine how AI can visualize your expertise (and collect leads)
Data on Tap is a growing collection of AI-powered intelligence visualization tools that turn your knowledge into an interactive playground — data visualizations, calculators, and more. Using AI, you can build most of these tools in an afternoon. Follow along as I show you how. (Or contact me to build one for you.)
AI Workshops for
Organizations & Teams
Practical AI for better decision making.
AI is reshaping every industry — but most of today’s training focuses on tools. My interactive sessions start with strategy – where is your business feeling friction and how can you use AI to organize, share and monetize your knowledge. Customizable for large and small groups.
Speaking &
Keynotes
Start with your Unfair Advantage
Most businesses can’t track where their revenue actually comes from — or where it’s quietly leaking out. These keynotes and sessions show audiences how to map their revenue, close the gap between strategy and execution, and use AI as a real thinking partner along the way. You leave with frameworks you can deploy Monday morning.
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